The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-25
The Comets of 1887.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
This has been good year, thus far, for COM
cts, and the record may yet equal that Of 1886,
during which no less than nine comets were
either discovered or newly observed.
Comets are designated among astronomers by
the small letters of the alphabet, with the year
attached, as a, 1887. b. 1887. and so on.
A brief summary of those discovered during
the present year may not be embarrassing to
your readers.
Comet a. 1887, was discovered By DR.. Thorne,
director Of the observatory at Cordoba South
America, on Jan. Is. in the constellation Grus
1.-THE Crane). The tail was seen at Melbourne
Observatory australia Jan. 49, and at Adelaide
Observatory Jan. 90 The Observatory, an
astronomical journal, published at London, Eng
land, speaking of it, about the time of its dis
covery. said: 1.-The tail is long, narrow and
straight. and has been traced for length Of
about 3oo Its periheiion passage THAT
is, around the sum- was estma-
ted as having occurred Jan. IL,
and the comet is said to have been visible to the
naked eye, even in strong twilight. OF course,
It was only seen in southern attitudes. The
| ephemeris computed by Mr.. S. c. Chandler. of
Harvard Observatory Cambridge. Mass, for the
| month Of February, gave the comet north
easteriy direction, with Increasing distance from
Tie oartu, anu rdplOiy OlmlnlSnl jg brightness.
| The probability is that, if seen at all in lati-
| tudes as far north as this, it will only ba
| through the telescope, and then as faint nebu-
| lous body
| Comet b. 1887 was discovered by Prof. Vim.
| R. Brooks, of the Red House Observatory
Phelps. N. Y. who thus describes it in letter,
| dated Jan. %. to the Sidereal Messenger: 'sOn
Saturday evening, Jan %. discovered a new
comet in the consolation Draco, in approximate
right ascension 1Sh 0m declination north 10.
trequred bat short time to detect motion.
| and the discovery was telegraphed to Dr. Swift
| director of the Warner Observatory, Rochester
structed Harvard to cable the discovery to Eu-
rope. Last night and this morning observed
| the comet again. DR.. Swift was en-
sbled to verify the discovery at about
position to be at that time. right ascension 18Th,
pom. 28s, declination 1872 So Az. The comet
| is round, with some central condensation, and
| easily visible with moderate apertures. Its mo-
| ton is slow and III northeast direction. The
position of this comet March q was as follows:
Right ascension Al, 13m, 4s, and its declination
| go Sc. its light being about eight-tenths what
| it was the first of the month This comet was
| observed at the Vanderbilt Observatory, Nash
vile, Tenn, by Professor Barnard, the even
| ing of Jan. 3d. and after recording his observa-
| tions, he began searching for new comets with
his fveinch refractor, and about o'clock In the
/ morning he across dim, hazy object near
| the star Beta Cyeni 1.-THE Swami which turned
| out to be another comet and the third one of
the year. This comet-c, 1S87-had the fol
lowing apparent place when discovered, its light
then being assumed as one ~: Right ascension
19h Tn, ABS: declination north 25o %, The
| elements OF this comet, computed by Mr.
Ecbert, assistant at Dudley Observatory, Albany,
N. Y, give its place for March &c at right
| ascension 22h, 46n. declinaton So a. north,
| its light being about half what it was at its
discovery. From this it appears that this comet
is moving rapidly away from the earth and
| north. Perhaps it is unnecessary to add that
neither Brooks's nor Barnard's comets are visi-
BILE to the naked eye
have seen report that another comet has
been picked up lately, but have no data concern.
| ing it at hand.
In closing. let me call attention to the splendid
lustre of Venus now shining in tho west as on,
evening star. Sac has phases like the moon
but is surrounded by so bright q glow that close
observation is difficult
! Saturn and Mars are also in the west but Sc,
too early to be seen. Jupiter is now in the east
late at night. and with his belts and moon.
makes up one of the most glorious sights in the
| heavens p
| JAN. "a. 1887.
P. ST. have just been shown a letter from
stance, that the 18th of March, in the even
ing. he saw ''what appeared to be o comet in the
northeast, about thirty degrees above the hori
zou. and extending at right angles to it." That
it was a very bright streak of light and about
the same width its entire length" and that hi
looked for it the next evening, but it had disap
peared. This was probably ray of aurora
light, or thin streak of cloud whose peculla
filaments and streamers, at times, take on very
much the appearance of the object described.
c. P. J.